Separation processes

Abstract

This invention relates to a process for separating one or more products from a reaction product fluid comprising a metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand, a polar solvent and said one or more products, wherein said process comprises (1) mixing said reaction product fluid with a nonpolar solvent to obtain by phase separation a polar phase comprising said metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand and said polar solvent and a nonpolar phase comprising said one or more products and nonpolar solvent, and (2) recovering said nonpolar phase from said polar phase; wherein said organophosphorus ligand has a partition coefficient between the polar solvent and the nonpolar solvent of greater than about 10, and said one or more products have a partition coefficient between the nonpolar solvent and the polar solvent of greater than about 0.5.

We claim: 
     
       1. A process for separating one or more products from a reaction product fluid comprising a metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand, a nonpolar solvent, a polar solvent and said one or more product, wherein said process comprises (1) mixing said reaction product fluid to obtain by phase separation a polar phase comprising said metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand and said polar solvent and in nonpolar phase comprising said one or more products and nonpolar solvent, and (2) recovering said nonpolar phase from said polar phase; wherein said organophosphorus ligand has a partition coefficient between the polar solvent and the nonpolar solvent of greater than about 10, and said one or more products have a partition coefficient between the nonpolar solvent and the polar solvent of greater than about 0.5. 
     
     
       2. A process for separating one or more products from a reaction product fluid comprising a metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand, a polar solvent and said one or more products, wherein said process comprises (1) mixing said reaction product fluid with a nonpolar solvent to obtain by phase separation a polar phase comprising said metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand and said polar solvent and a nonpolar phase comprising said one or more products and nonpolar solvent, and (2) recovering said nonpolar phase from said polar phase; wherein said organophosphorus ligand has a partition coefficient between the polar solvent and the nonpolar solvent of greater than about 10, and said one or more products have a partition coefficient between the nonpolar solvent and the polar solvent of greater than about 0.5. 
     
     
       3. A process for producing one or more products comprising: (1) reacting one or more reactants in the presence of a metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand, a polar solvent and a nonpolar solvent to form a multiphase reaction product fluid; and (2) separating said multiphase reaction product fluid to obtain one phase comprising said one or more reactants, metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand and polar solvent and at least one other phase comprising said one or more products and nonpolar solvent; wherein said organophosphorus ligand has a partition coefficient between the polar solvent and the nonpolar solvent of greater than about 10, and said one or more products have a partition coefficient between the nonpolar solvent and the polar solvent of greater than about 0.5. 
     
     
       4. A process for producing one or more products comprising: (1) reacting one or more reactants in the presence of a metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand and a polar solvent to form a reaction product fluid; (2) mixing said reaction product fluid with a nonpolar solvent to form a multiphase reaction product fluid; and (3) separating said multiphase reaction product fluid to obtain one phase comprising said one or more reactants, metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand and polar solvent and at least one other phase comprising said one or more products and nonpolar solvent; wherein said organophosphorus ligand has a partition coefficient between the polar solvent and the nonpolar solvent of greater than about 10, and said one or more products have a partition coefficient between the nonpolar solvent and the polar solvent of greater than about 0.5. 
     
     
       5. The process of claim 3 comprising: (1) reacting an olefinic unsaturated compound with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand, a polar solvent and a nonpolar solvent to form a multiphase reaction product fluid; and (2) separating said multiphase reaction product fluid to obtain one phase comprising said olefinic unsaturated compound, metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand and polar solvent and at least one other phase comprising said aldehydes and nonpolar solvent; wherein said organophosphorus ligand has a partition coefficient between the polar solvent and the nonpolar solvent of greater than about 10, and said aldehydes have a partition coefficient between the nonpolar solvent and the polar solvent of greater than about 0.5. 
     
     
       6. The process of claim 4 comprising: (1) reacting an olefinic unsaturated compound with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand and a polar solvent to form a reaction product fluid; (2) mixing said reaction product, fluid with a nonpolar solvent to form a multiphase reaction product fluid; and (3) separating said multiphase reaction product fluid to obtain one phase comprising said olefinic unsaturated compound, metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand and polar solvent and at least one other phase comprising said aldehydes and nonpolar solvent; wherein said organophosphorus ligand has a partition coefficient between the polar solvent and the nonpolar solvent of greater than about 10, and said aldehydes have a partition coefficient between the nonpolar solvent and the polar solvent of greater than about 0.5. 
     
     
       7. The process of claim 1 wherein said organophosphorus ligand has a partition coefficient between the polar solvent and the nonpolar solvent of greater than about 15. 
     
     
       8. The process of claim 2 wherein said organophosphorus ligand has a partition coefficient between the polar solvent and the nonpolar solvent of greater than about 15. 
     
     
       9. The process of claim 1 wherein said one or more products have partition coefficient between the nonpolar solvent and the polar solvent of greater than about 0.75. 
     
     
       10. The process of claim 2 wherein said one or more products have a partition coefficient between the nonpolar solvent and the polar solvent of greater than about 0.75. 
     
     
       11. The process of claim 1 which comprises a hydroformylation, hydroacylation (intramolecular and intermolecular), hydrocyanation, hydroamidation, hydroesterification, aminolysis, alcoholysis, hydrocarbonylation, hydroxycarbonylation, carbonylation, isomerization or transfer hydrogenation process. 
     
     
       12. The process of claim 1 wherein said polar solvent is selected from nitrites, lactones, pyrrolidones, formamides and sulfoxides. 
     
     
       13. The process of claim 1 wherein said nonpolar solvent is selected from alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes, aldehydes, ketones, ethers, esters, amines, aromatics, silanes, silicones and carbon dioxide. 
     
     
       14. The process of claim 12 wherein said polar solvent is selected from propionitrile, 1,3-dioxolane, 3-methoxypropionitrile, N-methylpyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylformamide, 2-methyl-2-oxazoline, adiponitrile, acetonitrile, epsilon caprolactone, glutaronitrile, 3-methyl-2-oxazolidinone, dimethyl sulfoxide and sulfolane. 
     
     
       15. The process of claim 13 wherein said nonpolar solvent is selected from propane, 2,2-dimethylpropane, butane, 2,2-dimethylbutane, pentane, isopropyl ether, hexane, trimethylamine, heptane, octane, nonane, decane, isobutyl isobutyrate, tributylamine, undecane, 2,2,4-trimethylpentyl acetate, isobutyl heptyl ketone, diisobutyl ketone, cyclopentane, cyclohexane, isobutylbenzene, n-nonylbenzene, n-octylbenzene, n-butylbenzene, p-xylene, ethylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, m-xylene, toluene, o-xylene, decene, docenene, tetradecene, and heptadecanal. 
     
     
       16. The process of claim 1 wherein said metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst comprises rhodium complexed with an organophosphorus ligand represented by the formula: (i) a triorganophosphine ligand represented by the formula: ##STR12## wherein R 1  is the same or different and represents a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon radical containing from 1 to 24 carbon atoms or greater;   (ii) a monoorganophosphite represented by the formula: ##STR13## wherein R 3  represents a substituted or unsubstituted trivalent hydrocarbon radical containing from 4 to 40 carbon atoms or greater;   (iii) a diorganophosphite represented by the formula: ##STR14## wherein R 4  represents a substituted or unsubstituted divalent hydrocarbon radical containing from 4 to 40 carbon atoms or greater and W represents a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon radical containing from 1 to 18 carbon atoms or greater;   (iv) a triorganophosphite represented by the formula: ##STR15## wherein each R 8  is the same or different and represents a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon radical; and   (v) an organopolyphosphite containing two or more tertiary (trivalent) phosphorus atoms represented by the formula: ##STR16## wherein X 1  represents a substituted or unsubstituted n-valent hydrocarbon bridging radical containing from 2 to 40 carbon atoms, each R 9  is the same or different and represents a divalent hydrocarbon radical containing from 4 to 40 carbon atoms, each R 10  is the same or different and represents a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon radical containing from 1 to 24 carbon atoms, a and b can be the same or different and each have a value of 0 to 6, with the proviso that the sum of a+b is 2 to 6 and n equals a+b.   
     
     
       17. The process of claim 5 wherein said olefinic unsaturated compound comprises one or more pentenoic acids and/or salts and said aldehydes comprises one or more formylvaleric acids and/or salts. 
     
     
       18. The process of claim 6 wherein said olefinic unsaturated compound comprises one or more pentenoic acids and/or salts and said aldehydes comprise one or more formylvaleric acids and/or salts.